Hoplopyga peruana ( Moser, 1912 )

Shaughney, Jennifer Marie & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2015, A Monographic Revision of the Genus Hoplopyga Thomson, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4), pp. 579-638 : 622-624

Hoplopyga peruana ( Moser, 1912)

( Figs. 91–96 )

Gymnetis (Hoplopyga) peruana Moser 1912: 562 (original combination).

Lectotype male ( Ratcliffe 2004) at ZMHU, examined. Type locality: “ Peru ( Rio Oxabamba ).”

Description. Length 16.9–20.1 mm; width across humeri 9.6–11.7 mm. Dorsal surface velutinous or opaque. Males with ground color of dorsum brownish yellow to smoke gray. Pronotum with fuscous clouding at middle and fuscous, M-shaped mark (sometimes obscured by clouding). Elytra with fuscous clouding at base mesad of mesepimeron and at suture. Females with most of dorsum piceous, with apical declivity on each elytron or ground color of each elytron and pygidium sulphur yellow. Pronotum with broad, brownish yellow or sulfur yellow, longitudinal band on anterior half of midline and narrow, longitudinal band on posterior half of midline (posterior band sometimes faint or absent). Elytra with piceous markings as follows: each elytron with 1–2 spots in mediodiscal area and J-shaped mark or reversed J-shaped mark on apical umbone. Ventral surface opaque, colored as on dorsum. Metasternum with reddish brown, shiny, oblique spot either side of midline on males, females with middle entirely reddish brown and shiny. Mesometasternal process reddish brown, shiny at apex on males, entirely reddish brown, shiny. Abdominal sternites on males with last sternite reddish brown, shiny at middle, females with sternites entirely reddish brown, shiny, with lateral margins colored as on dorsum, opaque. Setae tawny to dull brown. Head: Surface with large, dense, round and n-shaped punctures, each puncture with a short seta in fresh specimens. Clypeal apex distinctly emarginate at middle, distinctly reflexed, weakly angulate either side of emargination. Antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined. Pronotum: Lateral margins gradually widening from apex to base. Surface with small, moderately dense, round punctures, punctures becoming large, dense, and n-shaped laterally. Lateral margins with or without short, interrupted bead on apical half. Elytra: Surface of each elytron with 2 distinctly elevated, discal costae, lateral costa on each elytron interrupted and depressed on mediodiscal area. Depressions between costae with n-shaped punctures; punctures large, dense, arranged longitudinally in striae, becoming smaller and extending to base near scutellum in 2 columns. Apical declivity impunctate or with minute, sparse punctures. Lateral margins densely punctate. Sutural costae each elevated into longitudinal keel on posterior half. Apices at suture strongly spinose. Pygidium: Surface distinctly convex in both sexes, with large, dense, concentric, transversely vermiform punctures, punctures with minute setae. Venter: Metasternum with large, dense, transversely vermiform punctures either side of middle, punctures with long setae. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, subparallel or at a slight oblique angle to horizontal axis of body, moderately protuberant beyond mesocoxae; in ventral view ( Fig. 93 ), sides narrowing to rounded apex, ventral face with dense, minute punctures at base, punctures in males each with a long seta. Abdominal sternites with large, dense, elongate, n-shaped punctures either side of middle in males or on lateral, opaque areas in females, punctures each with a minute to short seta. Legs: Protibia of males with distinct, apical tooth and subsequent swelling. Protibia tridentate in females. Parameres: Shaft divergent between midpoint and apex ( Figs. 94–95 ). Lateral margins subparallel from midpoint to apex. Apices each with distinct, lateral spur.

Distribution. Hoplopyga peruana is known from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru ( Fig. 96 ).

Locality Records. 193 specimens from the following collections: AMNH, BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CMNH, CNCI, FMNH, JEWC, MCZC, MNHN, MZSP, RMNH, SLTC, UCCC, USNM, and ZMHU. BOLIVIA (102): COCHABAMBA (3): Chapare, Cristal Mayu. LA PAZ (68): Nor Yungas, Rio Zongo. SANTA CRUZ (20): Buena Vista, Cuatro Ojos, Potrerillos del Guenda, Rio Yapacaní , Sara. NO DATA (11). COLOMBIA (2): CUNDINAMARCA (2): Bogotá. ECUADOR (1): BOLÍVAR (1): Balzapamba. PERU (88): CUSCO (2): Quiroz ( Río Paucartambo ). JUNÍN (76): Chanchamayo, Río Oxabamba , Río Toro , Satipo. NO DATA (10) .

Temporal Distribution. March (1), April (1), June (2), August (5), September (4), October (1). Few specimens had temporal data on the labels.

Diagnosis. Hoplopyga peruana is distinguished by its large size (16.9–20.1 mm), mesometasternal process with the sides narrowing to a rounded apex in ventral view, and the apical declivity on the elytra with greatly reduced or obsolete punctation. Females of H. peruana are similar in appearance to entirely black H. foeda specimens, but H. peruana females have the apical declivity on the elytra sulfur yellow and nearly impunctate. The broad, brownish yellow to sulfur yellow band on the anterior half of the midline of the pronotum is also diagnostic.

Natural History. Specimens have been collected at elevations of 400–500 m (label data).

Figures

Figs. 91–96. Hoplopyga peruana. 91–92) Habitus; 93) Mesometasternal process, ventral view; 94–95) Parameres; 96) Distribution.